


Sentry

by LouiseC



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-19
Updated: 2012-12-19
Packaged: 2017-11-21 13:48:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/598431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LouiseC/pseuds/LouiseC
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When threats are made against her family, Rachel Edwards hires an ex Navy SEAL to protect them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sentry

**Author's Note:**

> For h50_holidayswap. still_glorious asked for Steve/Danny Steve/Catherine Steve/Antagonist, angst, au, drama, military. I hope this filled at least some of those things!
> 
> I am sorry this is so very late. My little snippet of AU Steve, private security grew legs and ran away from me. Then I grew legs and ran away to Hawaii for real and I don't know how they get any work done around here, it is very distracting!!
> 
> Mele Kalikimaka!

"Well, Steven, everything seems to be in order." Rachel Edwards shuffles and straightens the contract papers before placing them carefully on the coffee table. "You are certainly impressively qualified and come recommended by my husband's colleague."

"Thank you, Maa'm" Steve replies.

"Please, Mrs Edwards is more than appropriate. You aren't in the military any longer." She doesn't miss the tiny facial twitch the man has at her comment. "Which, if you don't mind me saying, is the one thing that bothers me."

"I understand, Mrs Edwards." Steve stands and offers his hand to his prospective employer. "I will inform my partner that you won't be requiring our services after all."

Rachel doesn't take his hand. "Well aren't we one to jump to conclusions," she shakes her head in amusement. "I take no issue with you having been in the military," she says calmly. "It is more the fact that you no longer are and clearly haven't been discharged for physical medical reasons. Which to my mind leaves psychological or insubordinate causation. Both of which would be of concern to me should I hire you to protect my eight year old daughter."

Steve sits again, wondering how a well mannered Englishwoman can make him feel the same sense of shame as his former CO. The one who chewed him out so thoroughly after his last mission and told him he didn't think he could save Steve's ass this time.

"Oh. I'm sorry," he says sheepishly. "I overreacted."

Rachel nods carefully. "You did. But, I would like an answer."

"You haven't asked a question."

"It is implied. And sassing the woman who you want to write your pay checks is not usually a wise idea." 

"Demonstrating attention to detail is."

Rachel raises an eyebrow.

"I can't really say very much, Mrs Edwards. My time in the Navy was mostly classified. What I can say is that I was not discharged for psychological reasons. I disobeyed several direct orders to help a friend and I paid for my insubordination with my career."

"I see. And this penchant for disobedience…"

"Isn't a problem when I work for myself," Steve defends.

"Well, technically you would be working for me," Rachel reminds him.

"With due respect, ma'am, you don't know the first thing about providing personal security. I do. It is what the government trained me for, along with extensive weapons training and a large list of other skills which I seriously doubt will be needed."

"I understand." Rachel picks up her pen and reaches for the contracts. "Your answer has satisfied my only concern with our arrangement. How soon can you start?"

* * * 

"Rachel, I can not believe you and Stanley hired private security without consulting me first. I mean, seriously? You always gave me the impression that my job was too dangerous and who is it that has brought this on my family? That's right. Stanley the property developer. Not me, the cop." Danny shouts through the car's speakerphone system. "I am a cop, Rachel! A highly trained officer of the law, sworn to uphold the law and… something else, what was that again? Oh right to protect citizens. It's my job. I can not believe you hired someone else to protect my own daughter."

"Are you done?"

"Am I done? Am I…" Danny takes a deep breath. "Okay, explain."

"Believe it or not, Daniel, I did this for you, not to spite you. If you must know…"

"When Grace's safety is involved, yes, I must know!"

"Danny!" Rachel snaps crossly.

"Sorry."

"When you are with Grace, you will only have one of the two personal security officers with you. I didn't think you needed both of them."

"Oh."

"And I also wanted you to be able to have your usual time with Grace with some backup. The threats made against Stanley scare me, Danny. I trust you with Grace but like it or not, you are part of Stan's family and you need someone to watch your back at the moment."

"I, um… Thanks, Rach."

"You're welcome."

"I'm sorry I yelled."

"I'm sorry you thought I didn't think you could handle this. Of all the things that led to our divorce, my belief in your competence as a police officer was never one of them."

"It means a lot to have you say that. So I can still pick Grace up from school this afternoon?"

"Yes. And when the nice man introduces himself as Steve McGarrett and shows you his ID, please believe him. He used to be a Navy SEAL. He could totally take you." She chuckles to herself. 

"Goodbye, Rachel," Danny disconnects the call as he pulls into the HPD parking area.

* * * 

Danny waits in his car, despite his instincts making him want to meet Grace at her classroom door. She hates when he does that though so he settles for glaring at the school steps, mentally cataloguing every adult who enters and exits. When he sees Grace emerge from the building, his heart does its customary leap in his chest, the way it always does when he hasn't seen her for a few days. But then he sees the man behind her, following closely on her right flank with his hand rested securely on her shoulder, and remembers that this isn't like the other times he's picked her up.

He watches as Grace stops on the sidewalk, checks it is safe to cross, and runs over to the Camaro. "Danno!" 

Danny finally lets himself leave the car and crouches to meet her, catching Grace as she launches herself into his arms. "Hey, Monkey. How was school?"

"It was great!" she exclaims. "Tommy brought in a dead starfish and Mr Steve taught everyone how to get away from someone who is trying to grab us from behind. I accidentally kicked Tommy in the nuts though and he had to go to the nurse." Grace continues talking but Danny is focusing on the man standing beside the car, scanning the area in much the same way Danny had been earlier. 

Only much more scarily.

"Mr Steve?" Danny hugs Grace tightly before releasing her and standing. "I'm Detective Danny Williams. And Grace's father."

Steve nods, not taking his eyes off the crowd. "Just plain Steve is fine. I've been briefed. I'm sure we will work together great, Detective."

"Well, if you would be so kind as to get in the car, we can begin our Wednesday afternoon ritual of shave ice and a swim before I let my daughter talk me into braving Safeway and making ridiculously healthy salad wraps with pineapple in them."

Steve holds out his hand. "Keys?"

"What?"

"I'm driving."

"The hell you are," Danny blusters. "I am more than capable of evasive driving."

"I am sure you are," Steve gives the area one last look before turning to Danny. For the first time, He sees the man close up and realises that Mrs Edwards and been modest in her assessment of her ex-husband's fitness. Steve had been expecting a stereotypical, slightly pudgy, donut-loving detective to be picking Grace up from school.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

The neatly styled hair, the alert blue eyes and broad frame reassure Steve that he had made the right decision when he allowed Mrs Edwards to insist Chin wouldn't be needed when Detective Williams was with Grace. 

Steve takes a step closer and leans forward, beckoning Danny to step away from Grace for a moment but keeping his eyes trained on her. He leans down and speaks quietly in Danny's ear. "I'm driving, you're riding shotgun. If anything happens, you cover Grace and I get us out of target range. Okay?"

Danny nods. "See, if you'd have said that in the first place, I wouldn't have argued. But, I appreciate you being discreet in front of Grace. We can talk properly once she has gone to bed."

"Agreed," Steve nods. "Now, I heard something about shave ice?" he grins at Grace who is watching the two men with wide eyes. 

She smiles back and nods. "Yeah, I want cherry."

Steve starts the car and Danny pushes his seat back into place after Grace climbs through to the back. "You always want cherry," he pulls a mock disgusted face as he teases his daughter. 

"That's because it is the best, Danno," Steve defends seriously. 

"It's Detective Williams or Danny to you," he points at Steve, "And if Cherry is your favourite too, I am seriously going to have to reevaluate your qualifications to protect my family." He usually resents anyone infringing the sanctity of father-daughter time but he supposes for hired muscle, this guy seems okay.

"Whatever you say, Danny."

* * * 

The afternoon passes without incident and by the time the trio return to Danny's small apartment, Grace is exhausted and ready for bed. Steve quietly clears the rooms while Danny asks Grace if she thinks the neighbour across the building got new drapes. Steve pops his head out the door and the slightest of nods from him tells Danny that it's safe to enter. 

"Okay, Monkey. Go get ready for bed now."

"But Danno, I'm not even tired yet," Grace protests. 

"You fell asleep in the car."

Knowing her dad has her beat, Grace sighs dramatically and turns, halfheartedly stomping to the bathroom and leaving the two men alone for the first time.

Steve watches her go and then raises an eyebrow at Danny. 

"What?" the detective defends. "She is eight. She's been brushing her own teeth for five years now."

"Oh, okay then."

"You really don't have a lot of experience with kids do you?" Danny chuckles. "I mean besides the protection part. That you are very good at."

"Uh, no. But thanks. I think."

"You're doing fine. She isn't scared of you so that is a point in your column. Grace will come and say goodnight when she's ready and I will tuck her in and read her a story, which will be another chapter of Harry the Insipid Potter, but I will do it because I love my baby girl and I know that one day, one day much much too soon, she will not need her dorky old dad to read to her and I will regret not doing it while I could."

"Then we strategise and make a plan for the weekend."

Danny nods. "Yes. When my innocent daughter is asleep."

"The thing is," Steve says tentatively, "I think that maybe she needs to know a little more about what is going on. Her mother told her that someone had said they wanted to do bad things to her stepdad and Grace asked "The bad men like Danno catches?". I think she would be safer being more aware. She is bright and alert and two days with her has shown me that she is level headed."

"I don't know, Steve. Rachel would go ballistic if she found out, and she will find out, believe me, she always finds out."

"Oh, I know. I've been party to her interrogation techniques. She's so polite it tricks you into talking. They could use her at GITMO."

"I'll be sure and tell her you said that," Danny teases.

"Don't you dare. Look, I just want to tell her a few things to look out for, that's all. Cars driving too slowly or past several times. People asking her for directions instead of asking the adult she is with. I assume you've talked to her about stranger danger?"

Danny responds to the last comment with a disbelieving snort. "She's a cop's kid. What do you think? And I hear you already snuck in some self defence training during PE today," he chuckles. 

"Yes, Grace was quite impressive. For a beginner."

Danny laughs loudly. "Oh please, I've been teaching her on the sly since she was five years old."

"Well, okay then. I think we are on the same page. Maybe it will be best coming from you though, in addition to her chapter book tonight."

"Oh no, you're not getting out of it that easy. It was your idea. And besides, I want her to see that I trust you and that she can too. Okay?"

Steve nods. "Okay."

Once Grace is all tucked in and sleeping soundly, Danny closes the door quietly behind him, leaving it ajar the amount that Grace likes, and returns to Steve who is testing the locks on all the windows in the living room.

"You want to check the kitchen next?" Danny asks, only half kidding. He knows the situation is nothing to joke about but it's his way of coping. He just hopes Steve can see that."

"Already did. You need to clean out the drip tray in your refrigerator by the way."

"The drip tray in my… Okay, I'm going to let that one pass and pretend you said 'Thank you for the refreshment and or food I took from your fridge, Danny.' "

"Good. Saves me saying it."

 

Danny scowls. "So, uh," he sweeps his arm around the tidy but small living area. "As you can see, I am not exactly set up for house guests."

"Not a guest."

"You're an extra body, which I assume at some point is going to need to sleep. Unless you are actually a robot, in which case, there's a surge protector on the toaster in the kitchen. It keeps tripping the fuses. Just plug the toaster back in when you're done charging."

"Funny." Steve deadpans. "You should just buy a new toaster before you burn the place down. We have," he looks at his watch, "Twelve hours until Grace gets up?"

Danny nods. "More or less."

"I'll catch some shut eye for 4 hours now then sleep tomorrow while Chin Ho is on school detail. That gives you a solid eight hours after me. I am aware that you still have a day job."

"That works in theory, Steve, but you're forgetting one thing. I don't have anywhere for you to sleep."

"Hotbunking is fine," he shrugs.

"Hotwhatnow?" 

"On a sub, everyone works 12 hours on 12 hours off and when the other guy's working you sleep then swap. The mattress never gets cold."

"Hence, hotbunking."

"Hence?"

"It's a word. Look, Steve, this isn't the most ideal setup, okay? But since I like you, I will allow you to borrow my bed for your little robot nap and I'll sort something better out for the weekend."

"I'm not a robot!" Steve protests as he sits on the edge of the bed, unlaces his boots and lines them up with the edge of the comforter, right where his feet will be when he sits back up again.

Danny watches and raises an eyebrow. "Uh, huh."

Steve flicks off the bedside light, not that it makes much difference with the overheads still on, but it's meant to send a message. "Goodnight, Danno." 

"What'd I tell you about that, huh?"

Steve doesn't reply but Danny could swear he sees his ear twitch upwards, as if he were smiling to himself.

* * * 

The next two days pass, Danny calls Grace every night and after his traditional 'Goodnight, Monkey. Danno loves you,' she passes Steve the phone who gives Danny a SitRep of the day. So far, there have been no incidents or even concerns.

"I wanted to talk to you about that," Steve says quietly and Danny can hear him close a door behind him, presumably for privacy. Danny's thought is confirmed when Steve's next words are normal volume. 

"I'm curious why there have been no follow up threats or demands made. As far as we can tell, nobody is following Mr or Mrs Edwards or Grace."

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Danny asks, laying back on the couch and propping his feet on the arm.

"Of course it is," Steve replies. "But what I really want, is to find out who made the threats in the first place and why. We could go on for weeks in this holding pattern and as much as I like having a pay check, it's not good for a family to be under this pressure."

"HPD is on it, Babe," Danny reminds him. "Not me, I'm too involved to be allowed to investigate."

"And HPD always gets a fast result," Steve says sarcastically.

"Hey! That's my workplace you're dissenting."

"Your workplace? But not your people?"

'Damn him', Danny thinks. 'Stupid, astute Navy SEALs.' 

"Look," he says aloud, "My relationship with the Honolulu Police Department is not really your business. And besides, who are you to criticise the way they work? Just because they are cops not SEALS, doesn't mean they can't do their jobs properly."

"Again with the detached, third person descriptors," Steve points out. "Look, I'm not trying to offend you. My dad was a Detective with HPD for almost three Decades, I know how hard it is for a haoles in there, okay Danny? I know."

"Oh."

"Which is why I want us to investigate this ourselves. I believe I can justify it falling under the purview of my protection detail."

"You can't go poking around though. Don't make me have to arrest you"

"I also have a private investigator's licence."

"Of course you do," Danny sighs. "You're right of course. About all of it. If we want this to go away, we will have to make it go away ourselves." 

"Good. Look, I know tomorrow is your weekend with Grace, but I want my partner, Chin Ho Kelly, to be Grace's detail so we can talk. He can keep her in, play cards or something and you and I will meet at the shave ice stand to go over what we've got so far."

"That's fine Steve. But you'd better warn Chin Ho not to play with real money. My Monkey is a shark."

* * * 

"The traces I ran on the email lead to an ISP that was diverted so many times I lost the trail in Spain."

Danny stares, disbelieving at the tablet Steve is holding up, showing a world map with the re-routed email bounced all over it. "That's way more than HPD could even get. I want your version of the App store, Babe."

Steve chuckles. "I maybe forgot to turn in a couple of things when I left the Navy."

"Clearly."

"So anyway, following the email is a bust."

"And as we have no physical evidence at this time, we really don't have anything to go on," Danny finishes. 

"Which is where you come in."

"Huh?"

"You're a detective, Danno. So, detect. Where do we start?"

"Okay, One. It's Danny. Danno is Grace's name for me, nobody else's. Two. I'm not a magician. I can't wave my magic ALS wand and find some evidence."

"No, Mr Snarky. But you know where to start looking. I'm thinking Stan's files?"

Danny nods. "Yeah. HPD went over them but found nothing obvious."

"Well let's look for the not-so-obvious then!" Steve says eagerly, standing up and dropping his empty shave ice cup in the bin. "It's going to work great."

"You're enjoying this way too much," Danny grumbles, if only because its safer than even hinting at how not-grumpy he is at the prospect of spending more time with Steve.

"You love it."

* * * 

The plan to investigate all goes to crap on Sunday afternoon when a black SUV side swipes the Camaro on the way back from the zoo. Steve and Danny had a whispered discussion while Grace was washing up the breakfast dishes about whether or not it was safe and they both agreed that with the two of them, anyone would be stupid to try something in such a public place with only one point of exit. 

Grace convinces them to get shave ice from her favourite stall and watch the sun set by the beach on the way home and it's after that then that the trio are ambushed. 

"Lay down, Grace," Danny tells her as he grabs his phone and dials HPD. "This is Detective Danny Williams, badge number 7576. We just passed the corner of South King and Punchbowl Streets, heading North East on Punchbowl. I'm on protective detail of a minor, my daughter, and a Black SUV just rammed us. Plates are…" he looks around for the car but doesn't see it.

"The plates are covered, Danno!" Grace shouts from the back seat, her head peeking out the back windscreen. 

"I told you to get down!" Danny yells back. "Did you get that?" he asks the 911 operator. "Grace, lie down behind the seats and don't get up until I say you can, okay?"

"Okay," she whimpers. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, hey it's okay, Monkey," Danny turns and rubs her back. "It's going to be okay."

"Detective Williams, what is your destination?" the 911 operator asks calmly. 

"2727 Piikoi Street," Steve interrupts, swerving around a slow moving van.

"Very well, we will dispatch a several units to that location to meet you."

Steve waits for Danny to hang up before explaining. "My place. I've got a panic room for you and Grace and plenty of supplies."

"By 'supplies' you mean…"

"Ammunition. And did you seriously just do bunny ears at me in the middle of a high speed chase?"

"Shut up and watch the road!" Danny shouts as Steve veers onto the wrong side of the road to overtake another car.

"When we get there, You get Grace inside, I will cover you."

"Got it."

They speed along for several miles, the SUV behind them but not making another attempt to ram the Camaro. Just as they exit the freeway, Grace asks if she can sit up again but the tail is far enough back that Steve asks her to do something. It is only a few more minutes to his house.

"Gracie, can you reach up and pull out the middle armrest?"

She does so, Steve glancing in the rear view mirror to check. "Good. Now, Can you climb up on the seat, stay lying down, but I need you to reach in and find your dad's bulletproof vest. You know what it looks like?"

"Uh huh," she nods. "It's black and has HPD on the front in big yellow letters."

"Good. Can you see it?"

"No. It's too dark in the trunk."

"How did you even know I have my vest in there, Steve?" Danny asks, turning the flashlight on on his phone and tapping Grace on the back. "Use this, Babe."

"I searched the car while you took Grace to the toilet at the shave ice stand Wednesday afternoon."

"Only searched?"

"Um, maybe added some stuff."

"Such as?"

Steve is saved from answering when Grace wriggles back down onto the floor with the vest. 

"Good," he says intend. "Danno, put it on."

"What? No, you're covering us. You need it."

"Don't argue with me, Danny. Grace? When we get there, I want you to slide out behind your dad and he's going to pick you up and run to the house. Danny, the alarm code is 7965."

"Random."

"It's meant to be."

"Anything special? Too long ago to be your birthday."

"It's my birthdate in hexadecimal base."

"Of course it is."

Steve ignores him. "You don't need a key, I don't lock my door."

"You don't lock your door? What kind of crazy ass…"

"Not the time, Danno!"

Grumbling to himself, mostly to cover the adrenaline that is coursing through his body, he awkwardly shrugs in to his vest and unfastens his seatbelt.

"Ok, Grace, crawl through onto your dad's lap," Steve turns up a long drive and by the time they reach the end, Grace and Danny are in position and he pulls a handbrake turn so the passenger side is facing the house. One quick look shows the black SUV already halfway up the drive.

"Go!" Steve shouts. 

Danny launches into action, Grace clinging to his front like her nicknamesake and the pair run to the door. Steve slides backwards and out the passenger door and ducks down to use the front of the car as cover. Shots come from the open side window of the SUV and Steve counts the shadow of at least three pairs of feet on the other side, cast by the light inside the van. 

"Danny?" he shouts.

"We're in, Steve."

"Okay, cover me."

Danny hustles Grace down behind the door and unholsters his service weapon. 

"Okay, go Steve!" he shouts back and the fires a few shots in the general direction of the SUV. Steve comes hurtling through the open doorway and Grace kicks it closed.

"Nicely done, everyone." Steve nods. "Now, Grace let's get you and your dad into the panic room."

"No. I don't want to." She shakes her head firmly, her eyes wide.

Danny kneels beside her. "Grace, Babe, I know you really don't like little locked spaces but just this once, it's the safer place for you. I promise you, nothing will hurt you in there."

"I can't, Danno," she cries, tears beginning to well. "I think you will forget about me and I will be stuck in there forever. You can't make me go in there. I won't go in there."

Steve can see that she's becoming hysterical and remembers how measured Danny had been when he left her bedroom door open that first night at his house. "Hey, Gracie it's okay. I think we will need your help anyway. You are pretty brave and you are smart and I can use you on my team. You up for it?"

She nods, sniffing, and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Uh huh."

"That's 'Sir, yes Sir," to you."

"Sir, yes Sir," Grace says back with more surety and confidence than before. "What can I do?"

"Go to the kitchen," he points to a doorway to the right of the house. Keep low and on the other side of the island there is a cupboard. Get anything in there that you think will set fire. Then get the jars out of the fridge door and empty them into the bin and bring it back here."

She scurries in the direction Steve pointed, keeping below the line of the windows.

"Okay, what are we dealing with here, Steve?" Danny asks as soon as Grace is out of earshot.

"At least three hostiles," he replies. "Probably more. They're heavily armed with semi-automatics but they aren't too bright. There is no way they could have got us on a busy road like that. This smacks of scare tactics. Their van is slick and new but I think we're dealing with amateur hour here. They didn't disengage the interior lights of the van before they opened the door. Not brilliance at all."

"You don't think they will follow through?" Danny asks.

"Either that or they have worse aim than a drunk guy at the head."

"Lovely." 

"I tell it like it is," he quips, ferreting around in a chest beside the front door. 

"So, what's the plan then? Flammable stuff? Really?"

Steve nods. "Create some diversions to keep them busy while HPD and SWAT get here." He holds up a small first aid kit triumphantly.

"Why do I think you're going to enjoy setting several small fires in your own yard?"

Steve's only answer is to grin. 

Grace returns then, crawling on the floor and dragging a reusable shopping tote by the handle, looped around her ankle. "I got a few things, Steve," she says as she reaches them. "I found some kerosine. That should make lots of flames, right?"

Danny glares at Steve.

"Yeah, Gracie," Steve crouches beside her. "That's good." He pours some of the kerosine into an empty mustard jar and pokes in a short length of bandage. He lifts a lighter from the first aid kid and flicks it with his thumb to test it.

"Who has a lighter in their first aid kit?" Danny asks in disbelief.

"For sterilising needles and tweezers," Steve replies.

"You're a cave man."

"I prefer to think of myself as resourceful," Steve counters as he slides a lounge room window open a few inches and lobs the molotov cocktail out.

"Can I light the next one?" Grace asks, slightly in awe, and Steve at least has the good sense, or maybe sense of self preservation, to say no.

"Grace, playing with fire is dangerous and only crazy people do it. Can you say pyromaniac? Steve here is a pyromaniac. Maybe just plain maniac too, I'm yet to decide."

"Don't be mean, Danno," Grace scolds him. "Uncle Steve is just trying to help.'

"Uncle?!" Danny blusters. "Oh, no no."

"It's a sign of respect in Hawaiian culture, Danno," Steve explains as he lobs another jar out the window, this time aiming for a large bush. It's too green to catch fire but the effect is spectacular.

"Besides, he's not as crazy as Uncle Pete," Grace defends. "Remember the time he tried to deep fry a turkey for thanksgiving and set fire to the garage roof? Grandma was so mad."

Steve frowns at them "You can deep fry a turkey?"

"No. No you can not. It is an abomination and also hardly ever works," Danny insists. "Which reminds me, I need more bullets. I emptied my rounds while I was covering you."

"No problem. There's a box there in the ficus."

"In the what now?"

"The plant. By the door there," Steve waves in the general direction.

"Oh great, even your pot plants are packing."

Steve doesn't answer, instead he keeps his eyes trained on the outside, making sure none of the men attempt to sneak up the side of the house. If they advance in that manner, it's on and he stops distracting and starts incapacitating.

None of them do which only confirms his theory that it is not a professional job. When the HPD arrive and storm the front yard, the assailants surrender immediately. Or so they think. Steve catches the flitting shadow of one make their way up the side of the house. 

"Wait here!" he instructs Danny and Grace as he darts to the kitchen and out the side door. A HPD officer knocks on the door and asks for Danny. He opens it and lets Duke, another officer from his precinct, inside.

"Grace, stay here with Duke. I work with him, we can trust him okay? I'm going to help Steve." 

She nods and steps closer to the older man who rests his arm across her shoulders protectively. "I got this, Danny."

"Thanks."

Danny draws his weapon and follows the same path out of the house as Steve had. He rounds the back corner of the house and sees the shadow of two men fighting down by the shore line. He can easily tell which is Steve from his precise and accurate punches. That and the fact that he's spent the better part of the last few days trying not to remember the line of his arms and back. Even in silhouette, Steve's moves are a thing of beauty to watch. The other guy is sloppy in comparison.

Things escalate, the assailant landing a particularly hard kick to Steve's centre of gravity. He drops to the ground and his attacker draws a gun. He's too slow to aim however and before he can get off his shot, Steve rolls out of the way, draws his own weapon and shoots the man in the chest.

Danny announces himself, runs in and clears the guy's gun before turning to Steve. "You okay?" he asks, holding out a hand to help him.

Steve nods but winces as he lets Danny pull him up. 

"Hey, you've been shot!," Danny exclaims, reaching out to check Steve's left shoulder. "We better get you looked at where it's light." He looks up at Steve, his face clouded with worry and something else that Steve can't quite identify.

"I'm fine," Steve protests without moving away, hoping. "It's just a scratch, Danno."

"What'd I tell you about calling me that?" Danny protests halfheartedly.

"Can't remember," Steve grins. "You'll have to remind me later."

* * * 

The remaining suspects are taken back to HPD and spill everything for a deal with the DA. They reveal that they were hired by a man to intimidate Stan Edwards because he had secured a large contract from a developer that had previously promised the deal to him. Stan hadn't done anything untoward in the process, simply offered a better proposal which the developer decided to go with. Steve had been right, they were small time, well funded thugs.

Duke calls and tells Danny this while he and Steve are sitting in the ER, waiting for stitches to Steve's arm. An x-ray had shown the bullet missed the bone and the bleeding had slowed, almost stopped. They're swapping stories, sharing some of the close calls they've had over the years. Danny's afraid to believe even half of what Steve says is the truth.

"You never did say why you got kicked out of the Navy," Danny prompts. 

"You didn't ask."

"Didn't know if it was a touchy subject or not," Danny shrugs and brings his chair around to face Steve where he's perched on the side of the gurney. 

"It kind of is. I don't know. I'm okay with that I am doing now I guess. It's still helping people."

"So what'd you do?"

"Ran back into a hot zone instead of waiting for an extraction team. My buddy was pinned down behind some rocks. He'd been stuck there for almost half a day with an enemy sniper on the other side of a ridge taking pot shots at him. I could hear it in his voice over the comm that he was starting to lose it so snuck around the back and took the sniper out."

"That sounds like something that deserves a medal, not a discharge."

"Yeah, well. Not when you were explicitly ordered not to when you floated the idea by a Captain."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Wasn't the first time I'd been written up. It was the last though."

"I'm sorry man."

"Thanks. I don't regret it though. Tim, my buddy, admitted to me after my court-martial that he was about ten minutes away from just standing up and being done with it."

Danny lets out along breath. "Well, you did a great job with my family. I know Rachel will be paying you handsomely and there's no way I can match that. But I'd like to at least buy you a few beers to say thanks."

Steve nods slowly. "Just thanks?"

"Maybe? Maybe to say a few more things if that sounds like something you'd be up for, uh, hearing."

"You asking me out, Detective? Coz it's kind of hard to tell."

"Don't be difficult. Yes I am asking you out, you dense, stubborn pain in the ass. How anyone even finds you attractive I don't know…"

"Danno?" 

"Yeah?"

"Shut up," Steve says, leaning forward with his good hand on the arm of Danny's chair and dropping a quick kiss on the surprised detective's mouth. "That's a yes by the way," he whispers.

"Ah, good." Danny clears his throat, wondering which of them should make the next move.

"And now I have a question for you." Steve leans back again but keeps his eyes locked with Danny's. "The governor called me while you were saying good bye to Grace and Rachel. She heard about the work Chin and I have been doing and she wants to make us an official taskforce to deal with this kind of case."

"That's great, Steve. You gonna do it?"

"That depends on a few things. I need to put together a team. I've already got Chin and he wants to bring on his cousin who is graduating from the academy and be her training officer. That leaves me without a partner."

"I'm sure there's an old Navy buddy you can get on board," Danny suggests.

If Steve hadn't seen Danny's work first hand he would wonder how he ever became a detective. "Danno, I want you."

"Oh. You're sure?"

Steve nods. "Positive. We have immunity and means and whatever we need to get the job done."

"Sounds like a pretty good deal. And if this Chin Ho can survive working with you he must be a good guy. So, do you have a name?"

"Not yet," Steve grins. "But I'm sure we'll think of something."


End file.
